Legal basis: People's Republic of China (PRC) Patent Law.
Article 1 This Law is formulated for the purpose of protecting the patent right of invention and creation, encouraging invention and creation, promoting the popularization and application of invention and creation, promoting the development of science and technology and meeting the needs of socialist modernization.
Article 2 Inventions and creations mentioned in this Law refer to inventions, utility models and designs.
Article 3 The patent offices in People's Republic of China (PRC) and the People's Republic of China accept and examine patent applications, and grant patent rights to inventions and creations that meet the requirements of this Law.
Article 4 Where an invention-creation applying for a patent involves national security or vital interests and needs to be kept confidential, it shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the state.
Article 5 No patent right shall be granted for inventions and creations that violate state laws, social ethics or harm public interests.